Incubator.



PATENTBD APR. 5, 1904.

E. w. PHILO. INOUBATOR. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 11, 1903.

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lnveutoz Q attozmq rm: mums PETFRS c1 UNTTED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR WV. PHILO, OF SALEM, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOB TO U. L. PHILO, OF SALEM, NET/V YORK.

INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,277, dated April 5 1904.

Application filed July 11, 1903. Serial No- 165,184-.. (No model) To on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR W. PHILO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Washington and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Incubators,'of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to incubators; and it consists in the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a Vertical diametrical section of the incubator constituting the preferred embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a View on a reduced scale and partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, illustrative of the manner in which one or more of the incubators are used in conjunction with a brooder constructed in accordance with my invention and constituting a modification of the incubator.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, A is the base of my improved incubator, which is circular in form and made, by preference, of tin or other sheet metal. The said base comprises a bottom wall a, mounted on legs a and having a central opening I), an upwardlyextending tube 0, surrounding said opening, and a circular series of apertures (Z, disposed around the tube 0, and a circular wall e,which rises from the bottom wall at or adjacent to the edge thereof. B is a lamp arranged with its chimney in the tube 0 of base A so as to supply heated air to the interior of the incubator. C is the removable egg-holder of the incubator, and D the removable cover thereof. The egg-holder C, like the base A, is preferably circular in form and made of sheet metal, and it comprises a bottom wall f, having a central opening g, an inner circular wall it, rising from the bottom wall and surrounding said opening g, and a side wall 71. The bottom wall is covered with asbestos j, which is sloped toward the center for a purpose presently described, and the wall it is surrounded by asbestos, as indicated by is, this latter in order to protect the eggs against undue heat. The removable cover D, which is also, by preference, circular in form and of sheet metal, is made up of a top wall Z, lined with asbestos m and having a central opening a, a false top wall p, partially lined with asbestos p and having a central opening q and a depending tube 1 arranged to surround the tube 0 of base A, a deflector s, interposed and secured between the walls Z and p and disposed over the opening (1 in the latter, and a hollow circular portion t, depending from the walls Z and 10 and arranged to surround the egg-holder C and bear at its lower edge on raw cottonor other suitable packing a, placed in.

the outer portion of the base A. The outer wall t of the hollow portion zfis partially lined with asbestos w and is provided below the asbestos with apertures w for the escape of heated air. E is a thermostat carried by the cover D and having a dampero disposed over the opening a in the top wall of the cover. The said thermostat per se forms no part of my invention and may therefore be of any suitable construction.

The practical operation of my improved incubator is as follows: Eggs are placed in the holder 0 and the cover D is placed in the base A and over the holder, as shown, after which the lamp is lighted. With this done, it will be observed that heated air will pass from the lamp through the flue c, the hollow upper portion of the cover D, the hollow depending portion thereof, and the openings w until the temperature under the cover is raised to a predetermined extent, when the thermostat will operate to open the damper 2:. When the damper is thus opened, the heated air will pass from flue 0 around the deflector s and out through the opening a until the temperature below the cover is that which it is desired to maintain, when the thermostat will operate to close the damper and the heated air'will resume the course first mentioned. It will also be observed that fresh air will enter the incubator through the openings 0Z, willbe heated incident to its upward passage through the flue a, between the tube 0 and wall it, and after circulating below the cover will pass out through the said openings d. This latter is particularly advantageous, since it assures an abundant supply of fresh heated air to the incubator and the maintenance therein of a pure atmosphere and suflicient moisture, thereby obviating the necessity of supplying moisture to the eggs during the process of incubation, and it is also advantageous because the fresh heated air is supplied to the incubator at a short distance from all the eggs, which gives each egg an equal chance and brings them to the hatching-point at approximately the same time. In virtue of the incubators being circular, as described, it will be observed that the heat is radiated in all directions from the center to the outer portion and carries with it the heated fresh air, also there are no corners and no doors or other openings such as are likely to admit cold air and chill the eggs. It will be further observed that when the cover D is lifted from the base the eggs are left to be aired in the natural way and need not be handled or removed from the incubator to effect such purpose. When the cover is removed, as stated, the thermostat carried by the cover will automatically close the damper c. From this it follows that when the cover is replaced the damper will not permit the escape of heat through the opening 01. until the temperature in the incubator is at the point desired, also that the necessity of heating the incubator for a time before putting in the eggs is obviated.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I have shown an incubator and a brooder connected by tubes 0' with a flue 0 leading from a source of heatedair supply. The incubator shown in said Fig. 2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, except that it lacks the deflector t, and the damper o of its thermostat is arranged below instead of above the top wall of its cover D and near the upper end of the tube 0. The brooder shown at the right of Fig. 2 is similar to the incubator at theleft of said figure, except that it lacks the egg-holder, and the bottom of its base A is formed of wire (4 covered by cloth (0 When desired, the cover D of the brooder may be removed and the base A used without said cover; also, when desired the brooder may be readily removed and an incubator similar to that shown at the left of Fig. 2 used in its place.

In lieu of using the cover D to close the brooder a cloth curtain, which I have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate, may be used to cover the brooder without involving a departure from the scope of my invention.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiments of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to such specific construction and arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. An incubator comprising a base, and a cover removably arranged on the base and having a hollow, upper portion provided with an inlet and an outlet for heated air, and also having a hollow, marginal portion depending from and communicating with the hollow upper portion. 4

2. An incubator comprising a base, an eggholder thereon, a hollow cover removably arranged on the base, over the egg-holder, and having an inlet and an outlet for heated air, and a thermostat carried by and removable with the cover, and having adamper controlling the outlet for heated air.

3. An incubator comprising a base having an opening, and an upwardly-extending tube surrounding the same, and also having a series of openings disposed around the tube, an egg-holder arranged on the base, and having a central opening receiving the tube of the base, and an upwardly-extending wall surrounding said opening and the tube of the base, and a hollow cover arranged on the base, and having a depending portion surrounding the egg-holder, and also having an inlet and an outlet for heated air; the inlet being dis-- posed above the tube of the base. 4:. An incubator comprising a base havin an opening, and an upwardly-extending tube surrounding said opening, and also having a series of openings disposed around the tube, a circular egg-holder arranged on the base, and having a central opening receiving the tube of the base, and an upwardly-extending wall surrounding said openingand the tube of the base, suitable soft material arranged in the egg-holder, on the bottom thereof, and sloped toward the center, and a hollow cover arranged on the base, and having a depending portion surrounding the egg-holder, and also having an inlet and an outlet for heated air; the outlet being disposed above the tube of the base.

5. An incubator comprising a base having an opening, and an upwardly-extending tube surrounding said opening, and also having a series of openings disposed around the tube, a circular egg-holder arranged on the base, and having a central opening receiving the tube of the base, and an upwardly-extending wall surrounding said opening and the tube of the base, a hollow cover removably arranged on the base, and having a depending portion surrounding the egg-holder, and also having an inlet for heated air, disposed above the tube of the base, and an outlet disposed above the inlet, and also having one or more outlets in its outer portion, and a thermostat carried by the cover, and having a damper controlling the first-mentioned outlet thereof.

6. An incubator comprising a base, a cover removably arranged on the base, and having a hollow, upper portion provided With an inlet and an outlet for heated air, and also having a hollow, marginal portion depending from and communicating with the hollow upper portion, and a conduit extending through the base, for supplying the upper portion and the depending portion of the cover With heated air.

7. Anincubator comprising a base, a hollow cover removably arranged on the base, andhaving a depending, marginal portion, and also havlng an inlet and an outlet for heated air, and a thermostat carried by and removable With the cover, and having a damper controlling the outlet for heated air'.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

EDGAR W. PHILO.

WVitnesses:

J. M. WALSH, W. H. CoTToN. 

